Mainz defeated Freiburg 2-0 in a huge Bundesliga relegation battle game on Monday night. The win took Mainz out of the bottom three with their opponents dropping down to the relegation play-off place.
There were some bizarre scenes at the end of the first half when players left the pitch for the break with the score at 0-0. However, that was not the end of the first half action.
Though referee Guido Winkmann had blown the half-time whistle, there was a penalty awarded via the VAR system for a handball in the box by Freiburg's Marc-Oliver Kempf.
Players from both sides had already been on their way back to their respective dressing rooms when the decision was made.
Mainz's Pablo De Blasis eventually scored the penalty, putting his side up 1-0.
"It leaves a bitter taste," Freiburg sporting director Jochen Saier told Eurosport at half-time. "We were under the impression that when the referee blows for half-time that's it."
The beginning of the second half was then delayed when supporters began throwing toilet rolls onto the pitch. The protest was not in relation to the VAR decision. Instead, it was made regarding the scheduling of Bundesliga games on Monday nights.
And now the second half of Mainz vs Freiburg has been delayed because fans kept throwing toilet rolls into the goalmouth area to protest at games taking place on a Monday night. First VAR after HT, now this... #BUNDESLIGAxESPN pic.twitter.com/8o1r8M0fL8
— Mark Donaldson (@DonaldsonESPN) April 16, 2018
